Acerbus
by RiseWithMe
Summary: Commander Shepard has defeated the Collectors, but an even larger plague threatens to spread throughtout the galaxy. The Necromorphs have returned on Titan Station, leaving Isaac Clarke to try and stop them. However, his distress signal is intercepted by the Normandy. Shepard's team will face their most terrifying enemy yet, with Isaac Clarke as their only ally in the dark.
1. Prologue: The Awakening

**Prologue: The Awakening**

_What was happening? He tried opening his eyes but they refused. He could feel himself slipping away from consciousness once more, but a piercing scream made his head ring with pain. Why were his other senses working? A rusty smell filled his nostrils;_  
_Was that... blood? So much blood.. fresh blood. Another scream. Was that growling? His mind could not make sense of the situation. It was dark. He could see no light through his closed lids. Suddenly, he became aware that his arms were bound in front of him. A straight jacket? Must be. He began to feel a familiar sense of fear and desperation. He had not felt like this since.. since.. It finally made sense. He tried to move but to no avail. Cold panic washed over him. It made every nerve in his body come alive with instinct; the instinct to live. The feeling was all too recongnizable. The continous screaming and effort to think made his head throb. The pain was unbearable. He could feel himself fading.. fading into the deep recesses of his own mind. Fading to where it was safe..._

_"Isaac! Isaac, can you hear me?!" His mind flickered to the sudden noise that was close to him. "Daina, I found Isaac Clarke. Repeat, I have him." The sharpness of the man's voice jolted Isaac awake. His eyes scanned the room frantically, making his headache return with a vengeance. He was in a small room. A dim light flooded into the entrance from the hallway it was connected to. Was that.. blood on the walls? Infront of him stood a young man with a flashlight and radio hooked on his shoulder. The harsh light made Isaac squint. He suddenly became aware of how weak his legs felt._

_"Great work, Franco. Be careful, he's been out a long time." Isaac tried to concentrate on the other voice. It must be coming from the radio._  
_He looked into Franco's eyes, immediately seeing the anxiety. He hoisted Isaac onto the ground, his knees almost giving way. "Good, good. Steady, steady." Isaac struggled to stand, his mind still fuzzy. "We gotta get you out of this straight jacket." He struggled to understand Franco's words. They became more jumbled as he tried to comprehend them._

_"Wh-where am I?" Isaac surprised himself by the clarity of his voice. His mind began to clear. A quiet, but menacing growl resounded behind Franco._  
_"Alright, I know you're confused right now, but I can explain everything. You have to trust me okay?" Trust him? The thought made Isaac shake his head. "Listen! You're in terrible, terrible da-" Blood exploded from Franco's chest, coloring the front of Isaac with the red substance. The sudden explosion of meat finally snapped Isaac into reality. His mind became clear, his vision crisp. He looked down to see Franco's chest impaled with a claw-like appendage. A creature began crawling up Franco's back, and drove a humanoid claw into his forehead. It detached itself from the body and a moan gurgled from deep inside Franco's throat. Isaac thrashed, trying desperately to rid himself of Franco's grip. He could only watch as tentacle-like projections sprouted from the hole in Franco's forehead and massive claw-like limbs exploded from the back of his shoulders. Franco began to scream,_  
_but it was quickly cut off as the flesh began to disintegrate from his throat and face. Isaac's eyes widened in pure terror. Every nerve in his being was electrified from the adrenaline pumping through his veins. What was left of Franco grabbed ahold of Isaac's shoulders harshly and came close to his face. Isaac looked into Franco's desperate eyes before his face exploded into meaty sections. His eyeballs hit Isaac before rolling onto the floor. Feeling the grip loosen, Isaac stood fully and headbutted the creature. It fell to the floor and writhed._

_"Franco? Franco what happened?! Oh god.. Isaac! Isaac Clarke! If you can hear me, run! RUN!" The voice from the radio.. it was suddenly on his com-link, attached to his rig. "She doesn't have to tell me twice," Isaac thought as he ran from the room clumsily, his bound arms making it hard to balance. He ran down a wide, open hallway. On both sides, humanoid creatures were merging from rooms. Some were still wearing shreds of hospital gowns. "I'm in a hospital." Isaac desperately tried to take in his surroundings as he made his way to another hall. Patients still sitting in wheelchairs were slowing changing as Isaac ran past them. His stomach turned. Ahead of him was a large door that could be locked. Right as he was about to cross the threshold, one of the creatures sprung up from the wheelchair it had been sitting on in the corner and tackled Isaac to the floor. He kicked it's chest, his foot getting caught in the bloody flesh. He made contact with something hard, bone maybe, and kicked one last time, sending the creature backwards into the door right as it closed. The creature's neck separated from it's body, and the door slammed shut with a fountain of blood. Isaac slowly stood, his heart pounding in his ears. Looking around, he tried to calm his breathing. He realized his rig must be red.. Not good. With effort, Isaac began to make his way down the corridor. I have to find a suit..weapons.. anything. His mind raced. How could this have happened again?_

_He stopped in a small, enclosed room and leaned against one of the hospital beds. It was just like on the Ishimura. _

_The Necromorphs had returned._


	2. Chapter 2: Distress Signal

**Chapter 2: Distress Signal**

_"All around me are familar faces,_  
_worn out places.."_

It had been two months since the Collector Base was destroyed. Two months since countless human colonies had vanished. Two months since she cut all ties with Cerberus. Four months since she was brought back from the dead...

The last thought made Shepard frown. It still made her uneasy knowing two years of her existence were spent in the afterlife. She always knew that in the life of a soldier, one could die at any given moment. But during the Collector attack on the Normandy SR1, Shepard had been afraid. She could remember being pulled out into space, flipping and turning, gasping for air. Slowly dying...

Shepard shivered and opened her eyes. Those memories were still fresh in her mind as if they happened yesterday. She might have been rebuilt, but her brain still felt like her own. She still had her red hair, green eyes. Same face. _"Is it truly me?"_ Sighing, she leaned down and picked up her data pad that had fallen on the floor when she dozed off.

After defeating the Collectors, the council requested that she would be stripped of her position and sent back to Earth. They called it treason for working with Cerberus.. She called it necessity. Shepard opened the mission files and started to look through them once more. "_With_ is the key word here," she thought. "I never actually worked _for_ them." Now the Normandy was en route to the Citadel to meet one last time with the council. Shepard and the rest of her crew would be debriefed there. After reading the rest of the mission reports, Shepard set her data pad onto her desk and stepped outside and into the elevator.

Arriving on the CIC, Shepard stepped out and walked quietly passed the Galaxy Map. Yeoman Kelly Chambers greeted her cheerfully, and she returned the gesture. "Garrus would like to see you, Commander. He's in the Main Battery." Shepard nodded, "Thanks. I'll go visit him."  
Kelly gave the commander a teasing look and returned to her console. Shepard smiled to herself as she walked to the next elevator and activated the button for the Crew's Quarters.

She nodded at the crew on break in the mess and made her way to the Main Battery at the end of the hall. Shepard stopped at the door, her stomach turning with anticipation. Garrus had always been her greatest friend, her strongest ally. There was something about the turian that made her crazy;  
and she loved it. Before the final push at the Collector Base, they spent a wonderful night together. It was in that moment that Shepard knew she had strong feelings for him. Stronger feelings than friendship. Shepard took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped inside.

There he was. His back was turned to her as he, no doubt, was calibrating the Normandy's weapon systems. Shepard cracked a smile. It was Garrus' favorite pastime, whether the weapons needed it or not.

"You wanted to see me?" At the sound of her voice, Garrus turned and smiled, his mandibles moving in a back and forth motion. "Ah, yes. I figured you would want some fresh air from your cabin. Seems like you've been spending the majority of your time in there." Garrus frowned. "I'm worried."

Shepard sighed and walked up beside him. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the railing. "I'm alright. There's just alot to think about, you know?" She paused. "I don't know what will be waiting for me when we get to the Citadel.. or for my crew. People must think I betrayed the Alliance. The last thing I want to be known as is a traitor."

Garrus stepped in front of her. "You know damn well that it was necessary for Cerberus to help you with the mission. Without their resources, it would've been nearly impossible." Shepard nodded. "I know. I don't have any regrets. We destroyed the Collectors.. that's all that matters." Garrus watched her. "I don't have any regrets either."

Shepard smiled and pressed her hands against his armoured chest. "No matter what happens, I want to stay with you." Garrus shifted his feet nervously, clearing still lacking on flirting techniques. "O-of course Shepard. As do I." He shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."  
"Good. I'm still counting on you to have my back." She smiled wryly at him, "Keep your skills sharp." Garrus chuckled, "For you."

He leaned down and kissed Shepard gently. The feeling was still strange to her, exotic. It had taken time to get used to, but in the end, they found what worked best. As she kissed him back, the intercom clicked on loudly and Joker's voice boomed into the Main Battery. "Commander! There's a distress signal coming in from the Sol System. Some freaky shit is going on in it." Shepard leaned back. "I'll be right there, Joker." She pecked his mouth once more and they departed for the bridge on the CIC deck.

The crew was tense as Shepard and Garrus made their way down the bridge. Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor were waiting by the cockpit.  
They nodded as Shepard passed them.

"What's the situation Joker?" She put her hands on the back of his chair and looked at the screen. "Not good. Whoever sent the signal is definitely human.. and in a shit load of trouble." He played the transmission once more. Shepard stared at the screen as the grainy footage tried to focus. It was a human, outfited in a highly advanced engineer suit. Male maybe?

"If anyone receives this, please send for help! My name is Isaac Clarke and I'm on Titan Station. There's been another outbreak! I repeat, there has been another outbreak!" The man looked over his shoulder in the direction of a sudden gurgling, growling noise. Shepard noticed blood caked on the wall behind him. "I need reinforcements! There's too many, please! This cannot spread anymore!" From behind him, a repulsive, humanoid monster with claw-like appendages tried to stab him. In a quick, fluid motion, the man turned and took off its limbs with an interesting looking weapon before stomping it's face into the floor. He began to talk again, but the footage cut out.

Shepard remained silent as she stared at the blank screen. Joker turned in his chair and looked at her. "Well?" Shepard looked down at him. "I've heard the name Isaac Clarke before. He was apart of the crew that went to investigate the Ishimura three years ago, remember?" Joker nodded, "The human vessel that went dark in a matter of hours? Yeah, I remember."

Garrus shook his head, "I don't follow." Shepard turned to meet his eyes. "Three years ago in the Cygnus system, a human mining vessel known as the USG Ishimura was exploring the planet known as Aegis Vll. It was supposed to be a search for rare minerals, but the team discovered an alien relic in which they called the "Red Marker." Researchers brought it aboard the ship and in a short amount of time, the entire vessel went dark. A rescue team was sent in order to find out what happened, but they never returned. Isaac was one of them. The failed mission was classified as top secret."

Shepard looked back to Joker. "It is rumored that a strange form of blood-thirsty, alien life was formed, but no one dared to go near the system. I tried to convince the council to let me investigate, but they refused my offer."

Garrus growled, "Like always."

Joker turned back around in his chair and started tracing the signal. "It looks like it's coming from the remainder of Saturn's moon, Titan, at a facility called the Sprawl."

Miranda stepped forward. "We cannot simply ignore this, Commander. This could be huge."

Jacob nodded in agreement. "Despite what orders we have from the council, we have to see what's going on."

All eyes turned to Shepard. Looking from face to face, she nodded. "Agreed. We cannot let this distress signal go unanswered. Joker, get us to those coordinates." Joker chuckled with excitement. "Aye aye ma'am." She turned back to Miranda and Jacob, "I need the crew to be ready ASAP. We don't know what we'll be going up against." Miranda and Jacob departed in order to fill the rest of the crew in.

Garrus laughed quietly beside Shepard. She turned her attention away from the approaching Mass Effect field and looked at him.  
"What's so funny?" He shook his head, chuckling. "Oh nothing. It's just a good thing I've been calibrating the guns."


	3. Chapter 3: Traveler in the Dark

**Chapter 3: Traveler in the Dark**

_"Then the traveler in the dark,_  
_thanks you for your little spark._  
_He could not see which way to go,_  
_if you did not twinkle so.."  
_

Blood squished under the weight of Isaac's boot as he walked down the dark corridor. He could still feel the way the Necromorphs' limbs cracked and separated as he delivered the final blow.

_"They're not human,"_ he told himself. Not anymore.

Isaac knew the source of the outbreak on the Ishimura was caused by the Marker. It turned organic life into monsters... but how? _"And why hasn't a smiliar fate been placed upon me?"_ There seemed to be more questions then answers; there always was.

He reloaded another cartridge into his plasma cutter and continued carefully down the hall. Since being awakened, Isaac had been fighting for survival.  
While navigating through the hospital, he stumbled across another man; he called himself Stross. Nolan Stross. He was clothed in hospital wear, but claimed he was "patient five." Stross had wanted Isaac to follow him, but a security lockdown prohibited it.

_"Daina warned me he was crazy.. murdered his own wife and child."_ Isaac thought. But he couldn't help and wonder where Stross had gone. There was little chance of survival without weapons and a suit. _"The poor bastard.."_

Isaac had managed to make it out of the hospital and fabricate a plasma cutter by use of a surgical tool and flashlight. _"Atleast I can see.. Somewhat."_  
He had discovered a store within the shopping levels of Titan Station and found a schematic for an Engineering suit as well. It wasn't much, but it allowed some protection from the Necromorphs.

Isaac opened the door at the end of the hall and peered out. There were doors on both sides of the corridor. He stepped out and noticed luggage that had been strewn across the way. The rustic smell of fresh blood made his nose wrinkle. _"This must be where people were living,"_ he thought as he manuevered around the suitcases.

_"Someone has to intercept my distress call.. Someone has to.."_ Isaac listened as a strangled cry erupted from behind one of the closed doors. It rose with such despair, he almost covered his ears. _"Without help, I'm fucked... we're all fucked."_

Reaching the end of the hall, Isaac began to hear a harsh scratching.. like nails on a chalkboard.. like claws on metal. Raising the plasma cutter, he stood still, holding his breath. The crying had stopped, the scratching had disappeared as quickly as it came. The way had become as still as death,  
the quiet air made Isaac's heart beat loudly in his ears. The last time he had experienced such a silence was on the Ishimura.. when he saw Nicole.

_Nicole._

The very sound of her name was enough to tear him apart. She was his best friend, Senior Medical Officer on the Ishimura, and the love of his life. She had been stationed on the vessel when the first Necromorph outbreak began. Isaac wanted to believe she had survived the attack, but video showed Nicole took her own life in order to avoid the plague.

_"It's my fault.."_ Isaac tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. He had encouraged Nicole to take the job offer presented to her by the staff on the Ishimura. _"She was so unsure.. and I made her. I'm to blame.. If it wasn't for me.."_

Nicole Brennan was dead. Isaac had watched her final moments, but her presence lingered over him like a disease. He still saw her; hallucinations formed by the Marker. She always screamed the same line: **"Make us whole."** What the hell did that mean?

As Isaac approached the door, a Necromorph exploded from one of the rooms. Debris flew everywhere, launching him backwards and provoking a scream of surprise. Landing on his back, Isaac scrambled to aim the plasma cutter and stand at once. The creature moaned and growled, stumbling towards him, claws stabbing wildly at the air. Pure adrenaline pumped through his veins as he stood and took aim. That was when everything slowed..

He became aware of his heart beating in his chest; the quick, but steady rhythm calming his shaking arms. Cocking his head to the left, he judged where to shoot from behind his helmet. It was quiet, then his finger closed around the trigger. The Necromorphs' arm shredded and came loose, falling to the floor with a dull _thud_. Blood gushed from the open wound. It stepped back, but didn't seem to feel the pain. Isaac took aim once more and its leg joined the arm on the floor. The monster landed on the ground, but continued to drag itself towards him. _"Motherfucker!"_ Holding his leg up high, Isaac brought his boot down onto the creature's head. A mixture of blood, brains, and bone fragments exploded out from underneath the him, and the Necromorph became still.

Backing away, Isaac checked his weapon. _"I'm running out of ammo."_ The thought sent a cold chill into his gut. Stepping over the corpse, he opened the door and continued down the next hallway. Killing the creatures no longer affected him. In a way, he got a thrill from destroying their limbs. Laughing bitterly, he leaned against the wall. _"I'm so fucked up these days."_

He checked the route Daina had given him before he lost her signal. Hans Tiedemann, the Director of Operations on Titan Station, had been tracking him ever since he escaped the hospital. He had blocked his only connection with Daina. Tiedemann wanted him.. but for what purpose?

_"It has to be my knowledge of the Marker."_ Isaac thought. There was only one explanation as to why another outbreak had began; There was another Marker on the station. He knew it was his duty to track it down and destroy the relic, once and for all.

But according to Daina, he was slowly dying. The hallucinations were the Marker trying to make him insane, trying to break him. She had explained earlier that Tiedemann had found his body in space and recovered him. After experimentation, the researchers discovered the Marker he had come in contact with on the Ishimura implanted a self-replicating signal into his brain. The longer he was awake, the quicker the signal spreaded, destroying his brain from the inside out.

He knew there was a strong possibility she was lying. _"But what other choice do I have?"_ Isaac sighed and followed the route. He had to meet up with Daina and try to figure out what the hell was going on. He needed answers.

Stepping over another corpse, Isaac reloaded his plasma cutter. _"I need more guns.. and some back-up would be nice too.."_


	4. Chapter 4: The Arrival

**Chapter 4: The Arrival**

_"Ships that pass in the night,_  
_and speak each other in passing,_  
_only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness;_  
_So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another,_  
_only a look and a voice, then **darkness** again and a silence.."~_

Shepard stared out the window as Joker approached the Mass Relay that would take them to the Sol System. Her heart jumped in her chest; the irregular beat all too familiar. She was apprehensive, scared of what they might find aboard Titan Station. Isaac Clarke was not alone in his distress signal.. She had never seen such a creature. It sent a chill down her spine, making the hair on her neck stand on end. Shepard cracked each of her knuckles on both hands; an old, nervous habit.

Joker shivered dramatically. "Ugh! I can't stand that sound! It's like nails on a chalkboard to my delicate ears, Commander." He turned to look at her with a sly grin. "You don't want to have swollen meat fingers when you get old and crotchety, do you?"

She laughed. "That's a myth and you know it. I'll try to restrain myself." Shepard laced her fingers behind her back. "How long until we reach the coordinates?"

Joker brought up a map of their trajectory. "Hmm.. approximately ten minutes. Entering Mass Relay now." He steered the Normandy smoothly into the pull of the field and Shepard watched as the vessel was launched into the Sol System. Stepping away from the window Shepard called over her shoulder, "I'm going to suit up. Tell the crew to meet in the debriefing room in five." Joker nodded, "Yes ma'am."

Shepard rode the elevator to her cabin and walked inside. Before slipping inside her armor, she grinned and cracked her knuckles once more. "_This is going to_ _be one hell of a ride."_ She attached a pistol, shotgun, and assault rifle to her back and hip. Shepard walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She adjusted the shoulder pieces and took a breath. Staring at her reflection, she smiled. _"This is the calm before the storm. The feeling where time slows, and you come face to face with the idea that this could be your last mission. It becomes quiet and only thoughts can be heard. Mouths become dry and hearts beat in pure adrenaline. There is no other feeling like it. Damn.. I'm going to miss this."_ Shepard shook her head and stepped out of her room, into the elevator. She rode it to the debriefing room and stepped inside.

Every member of the crew that had helped her stop the Collector's was there. Shepard scanned the familiar faces. Miranda, Jacob, Mordin, Tali, Thane,  
Samara, Grunt, Jack, Legion, _Garrus..._

She crossed her arms over her chest. "We are entering a dangerous part of Sol. We will be docking on Titan Station, a facility on the moon orbiting Saturn. It went dark in a matter of hours. We have received a distress signal from a man named Isaac Clarke, a survivor of the attack."

Jack leaned forward. "Whoa whoa, hold on a damn second. What's this about an 'attack'?" Samara made a noise of agreement and looked at Shepard expectantly.

"We don't know yet. In the transmission.." Shepard hesitated, "I'll just show you. Joker! Fast forward the signal to 24 seconds."

Joker's voice came over the com, "Sure thing." The transmission appeared before the crew. Shepard watched as Isaac stopped in mid-sentence, turned, and shot the creature's limbs before curb-stomping its head into the floor. The video cut out as the signal was lost.

"That's what were up against. I believe these creatures are the source of the panic." Shepard scanned the expressions of her teammates; they all read a similiar emotion.. Fear and confusion, except for Thane and Grunt. Thane had a way of hiding his feelings and Grunt was.. _smiling?_

She cocked her head. "What is it, Grunt?"

He laughed deep in his throat. "That is some enemy. I've never seen one like it before. It'll be fun to pound some heads. I like this Isaac guy's style already."

Shepard nodded. "He seems.. efficient. But we cannot trust him so soon." She squared her shoulders. "Our first objective is to locate Isaac Clarke and secure his safety. Along the way, we will search for any clues that will help us to understand what happened on Titan Station in those few hours. Afterwards, we search for survivors and decimate these monsters. Understood?"

The crew nodded and grunted in reponse. One by one, they acknowledged their Commander and filed out of the room. Shepard turned and came face-to-face with Garrus.

His eyes were intense as they looked into her's. She smiled a little. "Ready to kick some ass?"

Garrus chuckled, "You bet. I'm coming with you when you board the station."

Shepard lifted a brow teasingly, "Do I suspect insubordination from you, Vakarian?" He simply shook his head. "Perhaps you suspect worry." She smiled easily. "Your big, bad commander can take care of herself, you know." Garrus' mandibles twitched. "Believe me, I know what you are capable of. It's the creatures I am unsure of. You said it yourself: We don't know what we're up against."

She intertwined her fingers with his three. "That's the fun part though." Shepard paused and looked up at him. "As much as I want you to come.. I can't deal with the thought of you.. not returning with me." She pressed her forehead against his, feeling the roughness of his plates.

Garrus sighed in a mixture of content and anxiety. "I understand. But I have to be by your side. I have to." He felt her nod slowly.

She leaned back and kissed him passionately. Garrus responded in kind to the edge of desperation in her lips. It was nothing new; it was the same feeling that night before the attack on the Collector base. He ran his fingers down her spine, making Shepard shiver. Out of breath, she broke the kiss and Garrus began to nibble on her neck, tracing her jawline and then grazing her earlobe.

Suddenly, Joker's voice boomed overhead. "We're approaching Titan Station, Commander."

Shepard looked at Garrus and smiled, feeling the flush still in her cheeks as her eyes met his, "Showtime."


	5. Chapter 5: Descent

**Chapter 5: Descent  
**

_"Dead star shine, Light up the sky._  
_I'm all out of breath, My walls are closing in.."  
_

The crew gazed out the windows as Joker guided the Normandy around Titan Station, trying to find a docking site. It was like a miniature city built upon a piece of rock. The station was dark, save for a few dim lights mixed among the towers. Shepard took the sight in, wondering how it looked when lit. _Perhaps_ _like the Citadel._ She turned her attention to the smoke coming out of various windows on the taller buildings. _Fire perhaps?_

Tearing herself away, Shepard walked to the cockpit and stood behind Joker. "Have you been able to contact anyone?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It's all static." Joker manuevered the Normandy onto a landing area and lowered her gently. "Are we sure there are any survivors down there? The facility looks.. dead." He swiveled his seat around and looked at Shepard. "Let's try not to throw the Normandy into some intense shit.. if we can help it."

She cracked a smile. "I'll try my best. Will you be okay here?"

"_Me?_ Well of course. Nobody can get the Normandy out of a tight spot like I can."

"I know, Joker. And I trust you completely. We just have to be ready incase we come across a situation similar to when the Normandy was attacked and the crew was taken.."

He nodded and looked down. "I failed you on that one. But I'm prepared this time."

Shepard placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will keep radio contact open at all times unless it jeopardizes our safety. I willl make status reports frequently."  
Joker saluted. "Good hunting."

With that, Shepard turned and left the cockpit. Her crew was waiting, watching her expectantly. "This is it. I need everyone to stay on top of what's happening." Her gaze landed on her quarian friend, "I will need your knowledge on tech, Tali." She stepped forward with confidence, "I'm ready to go." Shepard turned to Garrus, her eyes skimming his damaged face. "Vakarian, we'll need a sharpshooter. You're in." The turian smiled and took his place beside Tali. "It would be a pleasure."

"As for the rest of you, protect the Normandy and Joker at all costs. Whatever's out there might come to investigate, and we need a ride home. My radio will be open at all times. I want to be updated as needed. Am I clear?" The crew made gestures of understanding. "And please.. be careful. I don't want any of you getting hurt. Protect one another."

Thane raised his head. "Do not worry, Commander. We will not fail you."

Grunt pounded his chest, "We got this. Just watch your back out there."

Shepard smiled and nodded. "I will. Let's move out." She motioned to Garrus and Tali and they followed her out of the Normandy onto the plaform.

Shepard gave the cue to take out their weapons. She walked over to the door leading from the docking site and opened it. Stepping inside, her eardrums popped as the room equalized. It was black. Garrus lifted his sniper and activated the flashlight attachment. Tali inahled sharply, "Keelah.."

They had only just entered the station, and yet the horror had begun. Shepard scanned the room. There were corpses scattered throughout what seemed to be a welcoming office. They were ravaged to the point where it was difficult to discern what they were. Blood was smeared on the walls and covered the floor. Garrus pointed the light to a message written hastily in someone's fluids on a wall; **I DON'T WANT TO DIE**. Shepard swallowed. Whatever did this, had one mission. And that was to kill any living being. "We have to keep going. Stay alert."

Shepard turned her own light on and continued through the next door. It was a long corridor. She began to walk carefully through the dark, feeling Garrus'  
breath near her shoulder. He clicked his mandibles, "Does anyone else hear.. whispering?" Tali looked around then said teasingly, "No.. Scared Vakarian?"  
Garrus huffed. "Yeah, right. I just can't shake the feeling that I'm hearing voices." Shepard peered over her shoulder. "Stay focused. Whatever happened here isn't in the realm of normal." Garrus squeezed her hand then put it back on his rifle.

They reached the end of the hall, the smell of blood becoming more distinct. Shepard approached the door and opened it. A dim light flooded into their eyes as they stepped into the next area. What lay before them was what appeared to be a shopping complex. Stores lined both sides, with benches and faux palm trees scattered between. An advertisement for a new brand of mattress was booming over the loudpeaker. _Clearly prerecorded,_ Shepard thought. The neon lights from the stores shined brightly and faint music could be heard. From where she was standing, Shepard could see a bloody corpse lying on a bench. Tali came up beside her. "It's like they left in the middle of everything." Garrus shifted his feet. "Or were chased."

Shepard began walking through the complex looking for any clues to what might have happened. Garrus and Tali spread out and started searching the stores. She walked up to another body and kneeled down beside it. _No burn marks from any Alliance weapon.. Are those.. teeth marks? Clearly the person had been torn apart by something sharp. But what could have inflicted so much damage?_

"Shepard!" Garrus' voice broke into her reverie.

"What is it?" she asked as she began to approach him.

"Take a look at this poster." Shepard stood beside him and scrutinized the large piece of paper hanging from the wall. It looked like.. _a Prothean Beacon!_  
Like the one she came into contact with on Eden Prime. Except there was something different about this relic. It appeared almost.. satanic.

"I think the people here worship this thing," Garrus said. "There's information in a few of the stores. They call it the "Marker."

_Marker, huh?_ "So that's what it looks like. This thing was linked to the attack on the USG Ishimura a few years back. Why would it be on Titan Station?"  
Garrus shrugged. "There must be a common thread."

Tali walked over and stood beside Shepard. "It looks like one of the Prothean Beacons!"

"My thoughts exactly." _Could they be linked somehow?_

Suddenly, Joker's voice crackled into the air, making Shepard jump in surprise. Tali and Garrus seemed to have the same reaction and smiled at each other in relief.

"What is it, Joker?"

"Commander, we think we have Isaac Clarke's location. He seems to be heading to the top of a building called the Cassini Tower. Right now, he's making his way through the Church of Unitology."

"Good work. How do we get there?"

"Uploading the coordinates now."

Shepard looked at her map carefully. "We're nearby the church. We'll go track him down."

"Sounds good. Watch yourself. Joker out." The contact was dropped and Shepard looked from Garrus to Tali. "You guys ready to delve deeper into Hell?"

Tali nodded and Garrus smiled. "Let's go."


	6. Chapter 6: Revelation

**Chapter 6: Revelation**

_"We tried to walk together,_  
_but the night was growing dark._  
_Thought you were beside me,_  
_but I reached and you were gone._  
_I hear you crying softly,_  
_for the way it was before..."_

Shepard walked across the plaza of shops with Garrus and Tali following closely behind. She stopped in front of a wide opening with a large sign over it: **Church of Unitology.** There were windows in the shape of the Marker bordering it, casting an eerie glow onto the blood-stained floor.

Tali cocked her head. "What do you suppose 'Unitology' is?"

Shepard shifted her weight from foot to foot. "It's obviously a form of religion..."

"That worships the Marker and its technology as its God," finished Garrus. "But to what extent?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. But this practice must have brought more harm than good." She walked into the opening and called the elevator that stood before them.

Garrus scratched his fringe as he studied an electrical-looking box to the left of the elevator doors. "Strange.. this was hacked into. It was locked before being tampered with."

Tali glanced from Garrus to Shepard. "Could it be Isaac?"

The commander nodded, "It's our best guess. Joker did say he was making his way through the church." The elevator reached their floor and its doors opened. The trio stepped inside and they began to ascend.

"He must be quite talented with machinery," suggested Tali.

Shepard looked at her, "Clarke's an engineer. It's probably one of the reasons he has stayed alive this long.."

The elevator reached the next floor and dinged while it opened. Emerging out, Shepard whipped out her pistol and pointed it to the pale white pile of limbs that layed before them. She edged closer and crouched down to get a better look. "Shit.. these are children..!"

"They've been altered. Look at the claws on their hands.. and the fangs in their mouths," Garrus observed. He pushed over a body with his durasteel boot and stared at the bloody mouth of the creature.

Tali grimanced. "Do you.. do you think the source of the attack was the people on this station?"

Shepard stood and continued around the corner. They seemed to be at a welcoming center in the church, for there were offices on either side of a short hall. There were more bodies of the child-like creatures scattered about, bloody limbs strewn far from their places of origin, including heads separted from necks.

_Clarke.. this must be his doing. We have to hurry.._

She nodded slowly. "Yes, Tali. Something has made the people morph into these.. things."

Looking around, Garrus spotted a maintenance shaft. "I don't see anywhere to go but up." He pointed to the opening.

Shepard grinned nervously, "I hope you two aren't claustrophobic." She hopped into the narrow shaft and began crawling on her stomach. Behind her,  
Tali and Garrus followed suit. Blood on the sides of the walls squished as their bodies pressed past them. Reaching the end, Shepard peered out and checked the surroundings. She climbed out slowly and pointed her pistol. "Clear." Garrus and Tali emerged and followed as the commander climbed a set of stairs laid out in front of them.

At the top of the stairs, there were several doors. Commanding attention in the middle of the room, however, was a gigantic statue of the Marker. Shepard narrowed her eyes at the stone and continued through the door to their right. The room resembled a small library. There were bookshelves lining both walls with a desk tucked into the back corner. She approached the wood and began to root through the papers that sat on top. "There's nothing here except for scriptures." But then something caught her eye. Glancing down at the wood, she moved a paper and saw a message scraped into the surface. It must have been done with fingernails, for blood surrounded it. **CUT OFF THE LIMBS.** _Strange.._ "Alright, let's go."

Turning back towards the door, Garrus whipped his attention to the ceiling. "Did you hear that?"

Before Shepard or Tali could respond, a humanoid monster crashed from up above and landed in front of them. Shepard yelped in surprise and quickly took aim. In that split second, she took in its appearance: _It stood on two legs, contained two arms. The front of it had been disintegrated and left oozing,_  
_yellow flesh hanging from the open caves. It gurgled and green bile mixed with blood leaked from it's disproportioned mouth. The eyes were nothing but a black abyss.._

_What the fuck is this?_

The creature made a strangled screaming sound and leaned back. Shepard yelled, "Look out!" Garrus dodged just in time to miss a projectile of green acid that flew from the monster's mouth. Remembering what the message said, the commander cocked her head and said, "Aim for its limbs!" An array of bullets lit up the arms and legs and shredded them off the body. It landed on the floor and began to writhe, trying to crawl towards Shepard. Garrus stepped forward and shot it between the eyes, silencing the gurgling.

"Keelah! Was that another human?" Tali lowered her gun and stared at the bile on the floor under the creature.

Shepard took a breath. "Must be the adults." _How many types are there?!_

The turian moved closer to and put his hand on her shoulder. "We have to keep going. Isaac is still out there."

She turned and nodded, "I know. Our first priority is to find Clarke. Move out."

Garrus followed Tali out of the room as Shepard brought up the rear. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked once more at the monster they had slain.  
A cold fear settled into her gut._ What have we gotten ourselves into?_

Stepping out into the hall, Joker's voice rang out, making them jump once more. Garrus growled. "This place is bad for my nerves.."

"This is Shepard. What is it Joker?"

"Commander!" He sighed in relief. "You weren't answering a little bit ago.. I thought something got you."

She looked at the Marker statue before answering, "We were attacked. There are humans here who have been transformed into hideous creatures. They're the threat.. they are why Isaac is on the run."

"Jesus.. They must be the citizens of this place. What made them change..?"

Shepard shook her head, "I don't know.. yet. But I plan to find out. How far are we from Clarke's location?"

"Uhm.. not too far. I would hurry though; the bastard is moving quicker and quicker."

"Thanks. We'll catch up to him. And Joker? Keep on your toes."

He laughed. "I can try, but that might result in some dramatic bone crushing and destroying. I'll leave that to someone else."

She cracked a smile. "You ass. Just stay safe. Shepard out."

Tali chuckled. "Ah, always making jokes in the darkest of situations."

"We need someone like him for that exact reason." Shepard sighed quietly, "We're almost there. Follow me."

The trio continued down the hall, making their way to the next elevator.

Time was running out.


	7. Chapter 7: Clarke

**Chapter 7: Clarke**

_"My eyes have adjusted to dark,_  
_and so is my heart._  
_The weight of the world has covered me._  
_I'm in over my head._  
_Am I living or dead?_  
_Can anyone hear me calling out?_  
_I'm calling out.."_

Isaac scanned the varied merchandise in the Church's store. Titan Station had interactive departments scattered throughout, each customizable to the person's identity. _Funny how it still recognizes me. I figured Tiedemann would've locked me out of the system by now.._ He bought more catridges for his plasma cutter and med packs with the scant amount of money he had left. _Daina better have supplies.._

Isaac signed out of the store and turned to the door. While waiting for it to open, his rig-link activated and Stross' face appeared on the screen. They had been in contact frequently after Isaac made it through the citizen housing area of the station. Stross knew about the Marker. He had called himself "Patient 5." Earlier, he had informed Isaac that Tiedemann had been running tests on their brains. He called them "sessions." _But for what purpose?_  
Stross suffered from hallucinations like Isaac, leading him to believe that Stross had come in contact with the Marker at some point. _How much should I trust him?_

His voice sounded anxious, frantic. There was a wild look in his eyes that set Clarke on edge. "Isaac? Isaac, I know you see the symbols too! They mean something!"

Isaac sighed. "Stross. Yes I see the symbols."

Stross twitched and Isaac could tell he was spinning around in a circle. "We're a threat to them! I know it. We have to work together! He paused.  
"Oh... My nose is bleeding. When did that start.."

"Work together? You mean Tiedemann?"

Stross was moving in and out of the link, clearly infatuated with his bleeding nose.

"Stross! Work with me Stross!" But it was no use. He was talking to himself again, and the link was disconnected.

_Damn it. This guy is fucking nuts.. How am I supposed to get him to cooperate? _

The door opened and Isaac stepped out. The bodies of the necromorphs he had slain layed scattered about. They were the employees, or perhaps the priests themselves. He had come in contact with similar kinds, all wearing the Unitology robes; navy in color with a gold collar and trim. He had no sympathy for the godforsaken religion.

_The obsession had started with Unitologists. They studied the Marker. Messed with it. Now look what has happened. Where is their belief now?_

After making sure they were dead, Isaac checked his objective. He still needed needed to go through a few more levels of the Church before he could go to the Cassini Towers and meet Daina.

She had kept in contact with him, supplying alternate routes when Tiedemann cut him off or when the main path was too inundated with necromorphs.  
Daina kept saying that meeting with her was important. That she could save him. _I hope this works out in my favor.._

Isaac entered a room that had chairs lining the middle, facing a projector. A presentation on the history of Unitology was looping. Its audience was silent;  
some still sat in their chairs, blank stares with throats ripped out or innards spilling out from abdomens. Others were laying in pools of blood near the door. _Did these fools deserve this pain?_ He listened as it began its loop once more; Have you ever felt like you were meant to be apart of something bigger? Then maybe Unitology is right for you. Founded two hundred years ago by our savior, Michael Altman, Unitologists believe that one day all mankind will be united through the power of a sacred artifact known as the Marker. We call this process Convergence." The voice suddenly became intense, passionate. "Imagine it: All mankind brought together. With one purpose. With one mind. With one soul. No wars. No fear. No hate. If that sounds like an ideal world for you then look no further..."

Feeling sick, he looked away and opened his objective once more. Its path was leading him through a malfunctioning door. _Of course.._

Isaac looked over his shoulder and entered an adjoining room. Using his kinesis module, he removed a panel from the wall and saw the routing for the door. Smiling to himself, he removed its burned out fuse via kinesis. A mechanical voice came over the room; Please replace the fuse for the Observation Center door in the junction panel. Vandalism in the Church is not permitted.

He laughed. _Does it look like I give a damn at this point?_

A dim light shined from underneath a mangled body near the large window that faced the station. Isaac approached the victim. _Male. An electrical engineer_ _perhaps._ He turned the body over with a boot and saw a fully-charged fuse. _Finally.. some luck._ Isaac picked it up using kinesis once more and inserted it into the routing sequence. The door's lock turned blue from across the hall.

He began making his way across the room when suddenly, metallic scratching noises resounded above him. Isaac quickly pointed his plasma cutter and refilled the stasis tank attached to his back, on the rig. He swallowed. _Let's go._

Four necromorphs crashed down through the ceiling, all wearing the Unitology uniforms. Two of them charged, their knife-like appendages swinging wildly in the air. Their bodies looked like tendons intertwined. No skin was left. Just red muscle. Taking aim, Isaac smoothly took their arms off. They growled loudly and continued towards him. He brought his fist around that was holding the plasma cutter and massacred their soft bodies.

The remaining two attacked from his exposed flank. One brought its claw down into Isaac's side. He yelped in pain as a hot, burning sensation ripped through his skin. Wetness began to soak his suit. Dancing backwards, Isaac reloaded and gunned down the necromorphs.

He leaned against the wall, holding his side. _Shit.._

Gritting his teeth, Isaac activated the med-pack in his suit. He could feel his rig filling, going from red to yellow. The medicine seeped into his veins from the rig and reached the open wound. It began to seal and soon the bleeding tapered off.

Isaac slowly erected his back, breathing carefully. _That was too close._

Reaching the other side of the room, he entered the newly fixed door. It looked like a security room; there were screens postioned in front of a large desk.  
A coffee mug still sat on top.

A ringing suddenly entered his ears, making him want to claw at them. His vision began to wobble as the room around him turned a sickly orange color.  
He knew this wasn't from the wound.. she was coming.. she always did when he got hurt..

The screens flashed and static ran across them. Disfigured pictures of the marker appeared. Looking up, he saw Nicole perched on a filing cabinet beside the desk. She was in the Ishimura white medical uniform, blonde hair plastered to her bleeding face. In place of her eyes and mouth were orbs of light.

She hissed and her voice entered his mind; "I'm so cold Isaac. It hurts. But where are you going? You can't run from the pain forever. Soon you'll beg for a way to end it all!"

Isaac's vision wobbled once more and the room turned to its original color. Pain ripped through his head. He tried to ignore it as he activated the next door. _The hallucinations.. they're happening more frequently.. Am I finally breaking..?_

It opened, leading to a room filled with shelves. Isaac picked up more ammo and a schematic for a security suit.

_I have to keep going.._

* * *

Shepard stepped in something wet. Looking down, she saw a thin river of blood coming from the dead creatures on the floor. "This is fresh. We have to be closing in on Isaac's location." She motioned to Garrus and Tali and they followed her down the adjacent hallway.

Garrus stayed close. "Did you notice what they were wearing? Seemed like some kind of religious garment."

Tali nodded. "I agree. But we should expect as much. We're in a church after all."

Shepard laughed curtly. "Even the so-called enlightened couldn't be saved. I find it too ironic."

They entered the same recruiting room that Isaac had been through. The presentation was still playing, casting shadows of the dead onto the walls. Garrus knelt down. "These kills are fresh as well. Very fresh. We have to be close."

Shepard nodded and watched as Tali looked from the dead citizens to the screen. All three of them listened to the history and goal of Unitology before moving on silently. _This is more than I ever could have imagined.. _Shepard thought as her group moved through the security room.

Tali stopped in front of the only way out; another maintenance shaft. "Damn it. I really do not like these."

Shepard patted her shoulder and jumped inside. "We have to move quickly."

Garrus and Tali crawled after her, their suits clanking loudly against the metal interior. Reaching the end, the trio crawled out carefully and Shepard put a finger to her lips. "Do you hear that?" she asked in a hushed voice.

They listened. Resounding from the next room was a loud screeching. Girlish screams that did not seem human. More noises.. the sound of a weapon going off. Then all was quiet.

Garrus stared. "That has to be Clarke."

Shepard nodded and they ran for the next door. They entered onto a balcony. Looking over, she could see a figure clad in a suit stomping one of the creatures' heads into the floor.

"Move quietly," Shepard whispered.

Taking an elevator to the bottom floor, they moved in the shadows, staying close to the pillars that surrounded the room. Shepard was about to give the que to show themselves when a female voice began to speak to the man. She signaled Garrus and Tali to wait.

"... can't unlock the elevator! Can you do anything from your end?"

Isaac growled quietly. "Let me see what I can do."

"Okay. Once you're in, you'll go through the Funerary Wing of the church and down into the crypt. It's very important you're not.."

Daina's voice began to break up as her signal was jammed. "No.. NO! Earth Gov can't jam us in here! Not in here!"

Isaac's heart began to race. "Daina? Daina?! Important that I what?"

The signal went dark. Isaac cursed and slammed his fist into the wall.

Shepard nodded slowly to Garrus and Tali and they emerged from the shadows, staying at a safe distance. "Isaac Clarke?"

He spun around and whipped out his plasma cutter. What stood before him made his jaw drop in shock. _Another human.. but what are those things beside her? They're not necromorphs.. but their armed._

"How do you know my name? Who are you?"

Shepard studied his appearance. He wore a thick, sturdy-looking engineer suit. Blood covered the front armor, but it did not appear to be his.  
He wore a helmet, concealing his face completely. Isaac also carried a strange weapon, one that she did not recognize. His stance was stiff. It looked as if he could explode at any second. "At ease, Clarke. My name is Commander Shepard. My team intercepted your distress signal. We're here to help you."

Isaac saw the N7 emblem on the woman's armor. "Commander Shepard of the Alliance military? The famous one?"

She chuckled a little. "Yeah."

Slowly lowering his gun, Isaac relaxed. "I can't believe someone actually found my signal! I-I thought no one would come and help us.." He shook his head. "And our situation is only getting worse." Isaac glanced at Shepard's two companions. "Stop pointing those guns at me."

The commander glanced over her shoulder. "Garrus, Tali, stand down." They lowered their weapons and put them away.

"What are they.."

"Ahem. We have names you know. I'm Garrus Vakarian, a turian. An alien to your kind."

"And My name is Tali. I'm a quarian from the Migrant Fleet."

Isaac could only stare in awe. "I-I'm sorry. I've only ever heard of turians and quarians.. never actually saw one. I'm honored."

Shepard stepped closer and stood in front of him. "Who were you talking to on that channel?"

He hesitated, "Her name is Daina, a survivor of the plague. She's been helping me ever since I escaped the hospital. I'm trying to meet up with her. She can help."

"Can we trust her?"

"I don't know. But we don't have alot of options. It's the only lead I've got."

Shepard looked at Garrus and Tali before making contact with Isaac again. "Alright. We'll join you in your fight to stop these creatures."

Isaac chuckled darkly. "We call them 'necromorphs.' And if you haven't already figured it out, they were once human."

"Mhm.." She looked down. "We got that. Do you wish for us to follow you?"

Suddenly, Isaac's helmet began to fold backwards over his head. Shepard finally was able to see his face. He looked older, early forties perhaps, with graying, black hair and a light, 5 o'clock shadow. Dark circles encased his eyes, making their bluish-green color stand out. His forehead was creased in stress. Overall, quite handsome. Then he smiled wryly.

"Yeah. Join the party."


	8. Chapter 8: New Alliances

Chapter 8: New Alliances

_You were standing in the wake of devastation._  
_And you were waiting on the edge of the unknown.._  
_With the cataclysm raining down,_  
_Insides crying,"Save me now.."_  
_You were there, impossibly alone._

The sound of boot on metal echoed throughout the hall. Shepard followed Isaac closely, Garrus and Tali trailing behind. As the clang reverberated,  
she thought how lonely and cold it sounded. _This place is Hell.._

After meeting up with Clarke, Shepard's team had agreed to help him find Daina, the woman waiting at the top of the Casini Towers. _She said she could help him.. save his life. Isaac is dying? He said it was urgent to see her, but never mentioned why.. How can we trust her? But then again.. __how can we possibly trust him?_

Shepard watched Isaac fiddle with his plasma cutter as they waited for a door to open._ He hasn't told us much.. I can tell he's holding back. Is it worth it to question him? I know he's on our side.. but is that all that matters?_

Isaac turned to look at the group. "We're closing in on Daina's location. It shouldn't be too much longer."

Shepard nodded. "I'm kinda surprised we haven't seen any more... necromorphs. Did I say that right?"

He chuckled, "Yeah. That's right. It's not enough to call them monsters." His voice darkened at the end.

She watched his helmet. It was discomforting to never see his face.. or his eyes when he talked. He almost didn't seem real.. Like she was talking to a robot. _You can tell alot from a person's eyes.. Demons hide behind them. It's where the past can be uncovered. I need to figure him out._

Isaac and Tali stepped through the door, engaged in a conversation about his weaponry. _When did they start talking about that? Damn.. my mind has been somewhere else for too long.._

She felt pressure on her arm and looked over to see Garrus staring at her. His eyes were intense, almost pleading. "Shepard.. Do you trust him?"

Looking down, she replied, "I don't know. His intentions are commendable.. but the person he is? I'm not sure."

Garrus took a breath. "This mission relies on whether or not this man can help our cause. I refuse to let him turn on us..or hurt you."

She placed a hand on his scarred face. "I know what I'm doing. We have to keep going. The truth will come out sooner or later. Just keep your guard up,  
understand?"

He nodded. "I will."

Shepard smiled thinly and continued after Isaac and Tali. They were still talking about the mechanics when his rig suddenly opened. Static and interference rang out, making them all jump. The picture struggled to focus and a voice faded in and out.

Garrus narrowed his eyes. "What's going on?"

Isaac waved a hand as to say, "Be quiet," as the image focused.

"Isaac! Isaac, can you hear me?! They're all around me! I can't shake the voices.. they want me to join them. Please! Don't leave me alone out here!"

The rig's connection cut out and disappeared. Clarke sighed and shook his head.

"Well? Who was _tha_t_? _What the hell are the 'voices'?" Garrus growled.

"His name is Stross. He was a patient here like me.. He's suffering in the Marker's grip. Like I am."

Shepard stepped in front of him. "Suffering?"

He looked away. "It's nothing."

"No.. We have to know what you've been through Isaac. We have to be able to trust you. No more secrets. You don't have to do this alone."

Clarke looked into her eyes; there was something about them that told him she was being honest, truly caring. Every time he began to trust someone, it came back to bite him in the ass. _Easier said than done.._

"Okay, okay. You're right.. It's not fair to you." He motioned to all three of them. "What I saw on the Ishimura is.. indescribable. I lost the person I loved most, watched as innocent people suffered and changed into hideous creatures.. And I had to kill them." He turned his back. "I tried to tell myself that they're not human anymore.. but something inside told me otherwise. I didn't want to hurt anyone.. I'm only a fucking engineer for God's sake, not a soldier." He sighed. "After a while, I didn't feel the regret. I was numb. Every step was like I was floating.. nothing felt real." Isaac shook his head.

Shepard touched his shoulder. "What happened after the Ishimura?"

"I don't really remember. I was on the Ishimura, then the next thing I know, I'm waking up on Titan Station.. in a damn straight jacket." He laughed bitterly. "Stross said we were put in these 'sessions.' Who knows what that means.. I can't recall any of it. All I know is that this is a plague.. and it has to be stopped. This is my purpose now.. It has to end."

Shepard stood quietly for a moment. "You're a brave man, Isaac Clarke. Many commend me for the battles I've won.. but I've always had help. You..  
you had to face this adversity on your own. You had no one to rely on.. no one to trust. I have nothing but respect for you, Isaac. There are very few who would be able to rise above like you have."

Isaac raised his head to look at her. "Thank you Shepard.. I appreciate it. I didn't mean to keep secrets, but they are my burden to bear."

Garrus stepped forward, mandibles twitching, "No longer are they only yours. We're a team now, Clarke. I'll be honest, I had my doubts about you and whether or not you could be trusted. But I see how you have struggled..and it's damn inspiring. If Shepard has taught me anything, it's to accept others,  
no matter their flaws." He extended an arm.

Shepard smiled warmly at him as she watched the gesture.

Isaac extended his as well and shook Garrus' hand, nodding. "Thanks.. I promise I won't let you down."

Tali chuckled. "How ironic is this; here we are, talking about feelings and trust, in a place filled with death and despair." She shrugged. "I like this feeling.  
I'm glad we're all on the same page now."

The commander nodded at her. "I couldn't agree more, Tali."

Isaac squared his shoulders, a new energy in his body. "Let's not stand around any longer. We have some more ground to cover."

Shepard motioned towards the hall. "Lead the way."

He checked his objective and began following the blue path, the rest of the team following closely.

* * *

After a while, Shepard contacted Joker and informed him of their position.

"I am convinced you're the ultimate peace bringer, commander. Damn.. first you were unsure about this guy and now you're telling me you're one big,  
happy family? I can't wait for the reunion. I'll bring cake."

She chuckled. "We're not out of this yet. We still have to meet up with this Daina woman. But yes, I'm glad we're all getting along. Garrus was.. not very fond of us following him."

"Well Garrus is Garrus. I figured he would get over it eventually. Probably helps that _you _are there."

The teasing note in his voice was barely evident, but Shepard could tell what her pilot was doing. She smiled to herself, "Let's not get too friendly now.  
You promised me you would keep quiet."

"Aww, but that's no fun.. Ah whatever. You are the commander after all. I'm glad you're staying safe. Joker out."

The com disconnected and Shepard trotted to catch up with the group.

A large window came into view, showing off the entire Titan Station. Isaac, Garrus, and Tali were standing in front of it, looking out. As she approached,  
she could see the sky was an beautiful shade of orange. It almost seemed out of place among the dark buildings. _I wonder how long we've been here.._

Isaac pointed to a skyscraper in the distance. "There. Casini Tower is connected by an elevator, it seems. We're almost there." He looked to the three faces watching him. "If something doesn't go right.."

"..Then we have your back." Garrus and Tali nodded at Shepard as she smiled encouragingly.

From behind his helmet, Isaac grinned. It felt genuine for the first time in months. He led the group to the elevator and began to hack into the controls. His mind began to race and his heart started to pound in his chest. _This is it._ _What's going to happen..?_


	9. Chapter 9: A Change in Plans

**Chapter 9: A Change in Plans**

_Waking up and letting go,_  
_To the sound of angels._  
_Am I alive or just a ghost?_  
_Haunted by my sorrows.._  
_Hope is slipping through my hands,_  
_Gravity is taking hold._  
_Said I'm not afraid, that I am brave enough._  
_I will not give up,_  
_Until I see the sun._

The elevator doors hissed open. Isaac stood and motioned for Shepard and her team to step inside. He pressed the button for the highest floor and it began its ascension. As it climbed, Isaac watched flashes of Titan Station through windows it passed. The orange sky casted an eerie glow inside the elevator, creating shadows over Shepard's group. Isaac looked over his shoulder at them and his stomach clenched. He was grateful for the help.. He was relieved that he had somebody else to travel with. Perhaps it would not be as lonely. But.. their lives were at risk. There was no guarantee they would survive. Hell, there was no guarantee he would see this plague to the end. Losing more people seemed unbearable to him. He had lost enough friends.

Shepard nodded at him as the elevator reached the top. Isaac returned the gesture and they stepped out. Three people stood at the front of a large room, facing a wide window that overlooked the entire station. Shepard could see one was female: blonde shoulder-length hair and dressed casually. The other two were men. They were heavily armed and dressed in armor. She placed a hand on the pistol that rested on her hip. Something was wrong.. Garrus caught her movement and became ready to fire. Tali stood on edge as well.

The woman turned and Isaac stepped forward. "Daina?"

She smiled. Everything about it seemed off. "Isaac Clarke. We meet at last. I was beginning to think you would never make it."

"It was difficult trying to reach you. But I also met another team," He motioned to Shepard, Garrus, and Tali. "This is Commander Shepard of the Alliance Military. She intercepted my distress signal. She can help us."

Daina watched the turian and quarian with distaste then laughed. The sound sent a chill up Shepard's spine. "There is no help through the military."

In one swift movement, the two guards grabbed Isaac's arms and dragged him closer to Daina. Shepard whipped out her pistol and aimed at Daina. Garrus and Tali mimicked her movement and held the guards in their sights.

"Let him go. Now." Shepard's voice growled menacingly. Daina seemed to ignore her.

Isaac struggled in their grip. "Daina!" A slow smile spread across her lips. He watched and a cold, sinking feeling emanated from his gut as it came to him.  
"You.. you're a Unitologist..? Of course you are. Why did I trust you?!"

She laughed. "Well you didn't have a choice Isaac. I told you there was a cure and you came running."

Isaac shook his head in disbelief. "Why are you doing this? Why can't everyone just leave me alone, huh?" His voiced sounded far away, defeated.

Daina walked closer. "You're a dangerous secret Isaac. Earth Gov won't leave you alone because they're afraid you'll destroy their Marker," She paused.  
"After all, you did build it."

Shepard and her team glanced at one another. Her mind began to race. _He built it? That can't be.._

Isaac stood, shocked. "W-What are you talking about?"

Daina spread hands. "Well that's why we brought you here; To build Markers for us. To spread glorious Convergence to the entire galaxy."

Garrus looked at Shepard and mouthed, "Convergence?" She shook her head and turned her attention back to Daina.

Isaac thrashed, "You people are unbelievable! Just give me the fucking cure and let me go!"

She closed the gap between them and stood inches from his face. "No, we don't want to cure you Isaac," She stroked his forehead, making him flinch violently. "We need that precious little head of yours just the way it is." For a moment, Isaac and Daina's eyes met. He glared her down, yet she did not seem affected.

Sighing, she stepped back and turned, walking towards the window. "Now will you escort Isaac to the shuttle and put him in stasis. The last thing we want is for him to die."

Shepard stepped forward, her eyes intense "I don't think so bitch. Let Isaac go. I won't hesitate to put a bullet between your eyes."

Daina snickered. "You're coming with us as well. From what I've read, you have quite the strong-will, commander. I'm sure the Marker will love to to dissect your brain.."

At that moment, Isaac watched as a gun ship swooped down in front of the window. It opened fired. Daina screamed as the glass broke and the bullets hit her, slicing through her arms, leaving only bloody stumps. Her stomach was hit, and she doubled over before being sucked out the window. One of the men holding Isaac was decapitated before being pulled away. Shepard and her team desperately clung to the floor as the pull became stronger and oxygen escaped the room. Tali crawled and found a hatch in the floor. She scrambled to open it.

Isaac kicked the other man in the gut, sending him through the hole in the window. He frantically grabbed at the floor for anything that he could hold on to.

"ISAAC!" He looked up to see Tali and Garrus disappear through a hole in the floor. "COME ON!" Shepard was yelling for him. Taking a breath, he leaped forward and grabbed her hand that was extended. Grunting from exertion, she threw Isaac down the shaft, falling after him. They banged into the sides of the narrow shaft before crashing to the ground ontop of Garrus and Tali.

They struggled to stand. Shepard looked to them. "Is everyone alright?" Garrus grunted in response and Tali only nodded. Isaac leaned against the wall. "I'm so.." A loud, gurgling roar resounded suddenly above them. Isaac jumped and stumbled backwards into Tali as an unbearable clanging broke through the ceiling. A huge necromporph with long, scaly arms crashed down on top of them. It didn't have a face; A long body was connected to the limbs and a mouth opened, exposing rows and rows of pointed, bloody teeth. It roared into their faces, flinging a goopy spit and blood mixture at them.

"MOVE!" Shepard screamed as debris began to fall. The team tried to run, but the large pieces of the ceiling pinned them to the floor. The monster swiped it's limbs at them, biting furiously.

In that moment, everything slowed. Survival instinct had been activated once more inside Isaac. He could hear Tali yelling as the necromorph hung over her.  
Shepard and Garrus were shooting it's face, sending bloody chunks of skin onto the floor. The creature seemed unaffected. Looking around, Isaac spotted a long, yellowish-brown substance on its arms. It reminded him of sinew, connecting one part of the limb to the next. He could see a liquid bubbling inside. _That must be its weakpoint.._

In a quick, fluid movement, Isaac brought his plasma cutter up and took aim. His eye-sight blurred and then became sharp, focused. He pulled the trigger.  
The sac of fluid exploded, sending a pus-like substance raining down. The necromorph howled in anguish, rearing back. He heard Shepard call out. "GO, GO!"  
Isaac stood and began to run after them. A scratching sound sounded from behind and the monster jumped, sending more debris at them. It pinned them once more. Shepard ducked as an electrical cord swung down, almost catching her armor. Garrus and Tali struggled to move as the necromorph moved closer. Isaac looked at their terrified faces. A hollow ringing occupied his ears, causing his head to ache. _Ouch.._

But that ache made his attention clear once more. Looking up, he saw the sac on the other limb. It saw Isaac taking aim and began to lunge at him. Yelling in fright, he tried to scramble away. He heard Garrus call out, "CLARKE! BEHIND YOU!" Isaac turned as its mouth was flying at him. He swung his body around and shot the other sac right before its teeth could close in around him. The necromorph screamed once more, louder. It shrank back and the team was finally able to stand and run.

Tali screamed, "IT'S COMING!" Shepard turned to see it jump over the pile of debris. It landed, causing the floor to shake with the force of an earthquake. They stumbled like drunks. Isaac managed to run ahead, seeing a large bay door that was closed. He aimed and used his kinesis module to pull it open. The floor continued to shake as the monster closed in. The group ran through and entered a wide hall with a large window at the end. Tali screamed something, but Isaac couldn't hear over the necromorphs' roar. It sounded like hundreds of people all screaming at once. Shepard suddenly beared right after Tali. In that moment, Isaac could see they were heading towards an emergency exit door. He looked to see Garrus at his shoulder. They were too late.

The same gunship flew down in view of the window and began shooting the glass, breaking it. He could hear someone shouting his name and Garrus'.  
_Is that Shepard?_ It began sucking them out. Isaac and Garrus desperately grabbed at the floor. He found a handle and held on, grabbing Garrus' arm. Before they could move, the necromorph bounded into them. It was being pulled as well. The force of the impact sent them into the air. He met Shepard's eyes; _Such anguish.._ Garrus growled loudly beside him as they were sucked out.

It was quiet. The orange shades were now replaced with dark shadows. Isaac was flipping, turning, spinning. Which way was up? Which way was down?  
He caught a glimpse of Garrus trying to balance himself. _When did he put his helmet on..?_ The turning stopped suddenly and Isaac hung upside down.  
The necromorph was holding him, the bloody teeth inches from his face. He tried to scream but no sound came out. Before he could reach for his plasma cutter, Garrus took aim and obliterated the creature's last weakpoint. It threw him, and Isaac crashed into Garrus. They were spinning once more and smacked into the gunship. Isaac grabbed onto Garrus' arm. The necromorph had launched itself at them, mouth agape. Clarke looked around quickly and saw that explosive canisters were floating by them. _Must be from the gunship.._

Isaac's chest clenched in fear and he squeezed Garrus' arm. Garrus looked at him, and Clarke aimed his plasma cutter. He released a round into the canister and it exploded. The blast shredded through the necromorph. Its shockwave blew Isaac and Garrus through another window in a nearby building. Isaac felt nothing but the glass giving, then everything became black.

* * *

_Marker symbols swirled in a dizzy circle. None of it made sense. Whispers.. they echoed in his head. Nicole was there. Her vacant eyes leaked blood and watched him accusingly. He already knew it was his fault she was dead.. why did she haunt him so? The Marker loomed in the distance. Mysterious, intimidating.. it reeked of death. Isaac grabbed at his head. He wanted to wake from the nightmare. Suddenly a different voice rang out. It was calling his name. He let it take him.._

"Isaac! Isaac! C'mon.. Wake up!"

Clarke slowly opened his eyes. He noticed his helmet was off as he saw Garrus leaning over him. It hurt his head to concentrate.

"G-Garrus?"

The turian breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were dead."

Isaac slowly sat up, grimacing. "I might as well be. I feel like shit."

Garrus met his face. "You look like it too."

Despite himself, Isaac began to laugh. It hurt his stomach, but he ignored it. Garrus laughed with him. "Never do that again. Understand?"

He nodded. "I agree. No more exploding canisters."

Garrus stood and help Isaac to his feet. "Do you know where we are?"

Clarke looked around. There were Unitology symbols covering the walls. The only source of light were candles lining the floor. "I'm not sure.."

"Great.." Garrus growled. "Now we're separated from Shepard and Tali. How the hell are we going to find them?"

Isaac activated his helmet. It folded over his face. "I don't know. We will though. Do you think we can cooperate until then?"

Garrus raised a brow ridge. "I don't see why not. Just don't get in my way."

Reloading his plasma cutter, Isaac watched the turian. "That's manageable. C'mon. We should get going."

With a wobbly stride, Isaac walked toward the door, Garrus at his side.

_Shepard, Tali. Please be safe.._


End file.
